Day 10 Total Consecration Preparation 2013

[Dawn Marie]

DAY 10

 

 

AN ALL DAY EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

For the guide to the examination please go here.

 

Thoughts on Confession

Based on Fr. Eugene Boylan’s Book

This Tremendous Lover chapter 9

 

Hope and Confidence in God

Sometimes, the sight of our many sins can induce despondency, or even despair.  THAT IS NOT THE WORK OF GOD,  but of the devil.  God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.  If you can arrive at that same hatred of sin, then there is nothing to worry about---no matter how great or frequent those sins may have been!  Our Lord Himself said:

“For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost”(Lk. 19:10 Mt. 18:11)

“But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying to His disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?  And Jesus answering said to them: They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick.  I came not to call the just but sinners to penance. (Lk. 5:30-32)

There is no sin that cannot be forgiven.

If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool (Is. 1:18) All God wants is repentance and sorrow for past sin. “If the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my Commandments, and do judgment and justice, living he shall live and not die.  I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in justice which he hath wrought, he shall live. Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?...Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities, which he hath wrought, he shall surely live and not die…Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.  Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezek. 18:21-31)

 

The Mercies of God Are Above All His Works

It is of capitol importance that we never ever let our past sins---no matter how great or filthy they may have been---come between God and ourselves, or make us in any way doubt God’s love, friendship and mercy.  As the Psalmist says: “The Lord is gracious and merciful: Patient and plenteous in mercy.  The Lord is sweet to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works”.  (Ps. 144: 8-9)  God does not do things by halves. When He forgives sins, He forgives completely. Their guilt is blotted out entirely and He will not reproach us with them again.

Yet His generosity goes even further.  When a soul falls into mortal sin, all the merits from its past life are lost. If, however, the soul repents and obtains pardon, these merits revive again. Such is God’s generosity and love. This is a point of great importance.  There is always a great temptation to discouragement and distrust, even after our sins have been forgiven.  We feel that God still holds our sins against us; that His Providence will be less favorable to us in the future; we feel that He no longer trusts us and that He will be reserved and sparing in His granting of graces.

We imagine too, that no matter how great our progress may be in the future, the ultimate result will always be spoiled by that unfortunate past.  There is a certain height which we could have formerly reached before falling into sin, which we now imagine to be beyond our reach.

All that is natural---BUT it is also quite wrong! It is based upon a wrong notion of God. God loves to bring good out of evil.  He did so with Saint Paul, Saint Mary Magdalen, Saint Augustine, with Saint John of God[…] and with many more.  It is our lack of confidence which places obstacles in the way.  To quote Cardinal Billot: “The penitent can recover something greater, in so far as one who gave himself to heroic works after sin, is more loved by God, then one who, though never stained by mortal sin, is remiss in the exercise of virtues”. (De Poen. Q.89 Summa Theologica, IIIa, Q89 a,2)

Many sins were forgiven Mary Magdalen because she loved much.  If we love Him as she did, our sins will be forgiven us; and we can be more pleasing to God by a life of ardent love after our sin, then the lukewarm life of our previous innocence.  Truly God can bring good out of evil!

 

 

Today's Reading

Imitation of Christ: Book 3, Chapter 10

That it is sweet to despise the world and to serve God

Now, will I speak again, O Lord, and will not be silent, I will say in the hearing of my God and my King Who is on high: Oh, how great is the abundance of Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hast hidden for those that fear Thee! But what art Thou, for those who love Thee? What, to those who serve Thee with their whole heart? Unspeakable indeed is the sweetness of Thy contemplation, which Thou bestowest on those who love Thee. In this most of all hast Thou showed me the sweetness of Thy love, that when I had no being, Thou didst make me; and when I was straying far from Thee, Thou brought me back again, that I might serve Thee: and Thou hast commanded me to serve Thee. O Fountain of everlasting love, what shall I say of Thee? How can I forget Thee, Who hast vouchsafed to remember me even after I was corrupted and lost? Beyond all hope Thou showest mercy to Thy servant; and beyond all desert, hast Thou manifested Thy grace and friendship. What return shall I make to Thee for this favor? For it is granted to all who forsake these things, to renounce the world, and to assume the monastic life. Is it much that I should serve Thee, Whom the whole creation is bound to serve? It ought not to seem much to me to serve Thee; but this does rather appear great and wonderful to me, that Thou vouchsafest to receive one so wretched and unworthy as Thy servant. It is a great honor, a great glory, to serve Thee, and to despise all things for Thee, for they who willingly subject themselves to Thy holy service, shall have great grace. They shall experience the most sweet consolation of the Holy Spirit, Who for the love of Thee, have cast aside all carnal delight.

Meditation:

Taken from Abandonment to Divine Providence

SECTION VII.—On the Attainment of Peace.

There is no solid peace except in submission to the divine action. The soul that does not attach itself solely to the will of God will find neither satisfaction nor sanctification in any other means however excellent by which it may attempt to gain them. If that which God Himself chooses for you does not content you, from whom do you expect to obtain what you desire? If you are disgusted with the meat prepared for you by the divine will itself, what food would not be insipid to so depraved a taste? No soul can be really nourished, fortified, purified, enriched, and sanctified except in fulfilling the duties of the present moment. What more would you have? As in this you can find all good, why seek it elsewhere?

Do you know better than God?  As he ordains it thus why do you desire it differently? Can His wisdom and goodness be deceived?   When you find something to be in accordance with this divine wisdom and goodness ought you not to conclude that it must needs be excellent? Do you imagine you will find peace in resisting the Almighty?  Is it not, on the contrary, this resistance which we too often continue without owning it even to ourselves which is the cause of all our troubles? It is only just, therefore, that the soul that is dissatisfied with the divine action for each present moment should be punished by being unable to find happiness in anything else. If books, the example of the saints, and spiritual conversations deprive the soul of peace; if they fill the mind without satisfying it; it is a sign that one has strayed from the path of pure abandonment to the divine action, and that one is only seeking to please oneself.

To be employed in this way is to prevent God from finding an entrance. All this must be got rid of because of being an obstacle to grace. But if the divine will ordains the use of these things the soul may receive them like the rest—that is to say—as the means ordained by God which it accepts simply to use, and leaves afterwards when their moment has passed for the duties of the moment that follows. There is, in fact, nothing really good that does not emanate from the ordinance of God, and nothing, however good in itself, can be better adapted for the sanctification of the soul and the attainment of peace.

Prayers

Veni Creator Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God's hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father,
Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.

Kindle our sense from above,
and make our hearts o'erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.

Far from us drive the foe we dread,
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.

Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.

Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.

Prayer

The Litany of the Mercy of God

 

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

 

Mercy of God, supreme attribute of the Creator,

We trust in Thee.

Mercy of God, greatest perfection of the Redeemer,

We trust in Thee.

Mercy of God, unfathomable love of the Sanctifier, etc.

Mercy of God, inconceivable mystery of the Holy Trinity,

Mercy of God, expression of the greatest power of the Most High,

Mercy of God, revealed in the creation of the heavenly Spirits,

Mercy of God, summoning us to existence out of nothingness,

Mercy of God, embracing the whole universe,

Mercy of God, bestowing upon us immortal life,

Mercy of God, shielding us from merited punishments,

Mercy of God, raising us from the misery of sin,

Mercy of God, justifying us in the Word Incarnate,

Mercy of God, flowing from the wounds of Christ,

Mercy of God, gushing from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Mercy of God, giving to us the Most Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of Mercy,

Mercy of God, shown in the revelation of the Divine mysteries,

Mercy of God, manifested in the institution of the universal Church,

Mercy of God, contained in the institution of the Holy Sacraments,

Mercy of God, bestowed upon mankind in the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance,

Mercy of God, granted in the Sacraments of the Altar and the Priesthood,

Mercy of God, shown in calling us to the Holy Faith,

Mercy of God, revealed in the conversion of sinners,

Mercy of God, manifested in the sanctification of the just,

Mercy of God, fulfilled in the perfecting of the saintly,

Mercy of God, font of health for the sick and the suffering,

Mercy of God, solace of anguished hearts,

Mercy of God, hope of souls afflicted with despair,

Mercy of God, always and everywhere accompanying all people,

Mercy of God, anticipating us with graces,

Mercy of God, peace of the dying,

Mercy of God, refreshment and relief of the Souls in Purgatory,

Mercy of God, heavenly delight of the blessed,

Mercy of God, crown of all the Saints,

Mercy of God, inexhaustible source of miracles,

 

Lamb of God, Who didst show us Thy greatest mercy in redeeming

the world on the Cross,

Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who dost mercifully offer Thyself for us in every Holy Mass,

Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world through

Thine inexhaustible Mercy,

Have mercy on us.

 

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

 

V. The tender mercies of the Lord are over all His works.

R. The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever.

 

Let Us Pray.

O God, Whose Mercy is infinite and Whose treasures of pity are inexhaustible, graciously look down upon us and increase in us Thy Mercy so that we may never, even in the greatest trials, give way to despair, but may always trustfully conform ourselves to Thy Holy Will, which is Mercy itself. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Mercy, Who with Thee and the Holy Spirit doth show us Mercy forever and ever. R. Amen.

[Alley]

My Jesus I trust in Thee, My Jesus I hope in Thee, My Jesus I love Thee!

[bernadette szczepkowski]

There is no solid peace except in submission to the divine action.

[Alan]

V. The tender mercies of the Lord are over all His works.

R. The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever.

[Dawn Marie]

Many sins were forgiven Mary Magdalen because she loved much.  If we love Him as she did, our sins will be forgiven us; and we can be more pleasing to God by a life of ardent love after our sin, then the lukewarm life of our previous innocence.  Truly God can bring good out of evil!